1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lipectomy device for removing unwanted fat, and more particularly to an improvement in the vacuum system of such a device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Body sculpturing, or body contour surgery, is a routine procedure used to increase the attractiveness of the human form. One particular technique of body sculpturing involves suction lipectomy, also known as liposuction or lipexheresis (Greek for "fat suction").
This technique was first used in Europe by J. Schrudde in 1972, who used a uterine curet for this purpose. Such a curet is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,579, issued to Bridgman on May 11, 1976. An improved curet is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,140, also issued to Bridgman, on Jan. 19, 1982.
Although this technique was first treated with some apprehension, it has now become widely accepted by both the medical community and by the layman. It can be practiced by physicians with different backgrounds, e.g., general practitioners, dermatologists, otorhinolaryngologists, or gynecologists, although it is most often performed by plastic surgeons. It has been used to remove fat from all over the body. The regions most frequently treated include the trochanteric region, flanks, buttocks, inner aspect of the knee, the anterior abdominal wall, gynecomastia, and "lovehandles." Although it was once believed that the fat cells so removed would later be replaced, the present accepted theory is that the body contains a limited number of fat cells that cannot regenerate. Fatty tissue is thus caused not by an increase in the number of fat cells, but by an increase in the amount of lipid matter found within the cell boundaries. Therefore, it is thought that removal of the fat cells by liposuction will create a contour that will retain its form.
Today the procedure is performed using a special type of curet known as a cannula. One excellent article discussing various shapes and sizes of cannulas is "Body Contouring with Suction Lipectomy" by Kesselring, published in Clinics in Plastic Surgery, Vol. 11, No. 3 (July 1984). One cannula often used is known as the Aspiradeps, manufactured by Ulrich A.G., in St. Gall, Switzerland. The cannula is attached to a vacuum source which carries away the fat tissue. The vacuum pressure is usually in the order to 0.4 to 0.6 atmospheres.
There are two accepted techniques practiced today. The first is the tunneling procedure proposed by Illouz. In this method, one or two incisions are made, with radial excursions of the instrument into the flesh. The result is a multitude of concomitant sinuses. The second, and most common method, is the original liposuction procedure proposed by Kesselring. In that technique, an entire layer of regular, deep fat is removed, leaving a smooth, deep surface of the residual panniculus. The space thus created is then compressed, optionally followed by skin retraction.
Both of these techniques require that the surgeon push and pull the entire cannula back and forth about twenty times for each incision made. Normally, twenty to thirty incisions, or tunnels, are made. This is necessary to insure even removal of fat in the targeted region. The surgeon typically massages the flesh in the area of the aperture in the cannula, while at the same time thrusting the rod in and out of the tunnel. This is an extremely traumatic method, both for the patient and the doctor. The patient's flesh turns black and blue for several days. Moreover, many surgeons practicing this technique find it physically exacting, and most come out of the operating room extremely tired.
Another problem relates to the amount of time required for the procedure. After the cannula has been inserted into the patient, the vacuum pump connected thereto is turned on. It may take up to a minute for adequate negative pressure to build up in the vacuum line before the surgeon can begin removal of fatty tissue. Then, each time the cannula is removed, the pump must be turned off, allowing the space within the cannula to equilibrate with ambient pressure. Otherwise, skin or other epidermal tissue may be damaged when the cannula is removed from the incision. It is extremely important to minimize the time necessary for the procedure as the patient is usually under general anesthesia, and prolonged exposure to anesthesia may result in serious consequences, such as an anaphylactic reaction. It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to devise an improved cannula which would assist the surgeon in the lipectomy procedure by decreasing the amount of time necessary to achieve a proper vacuum in the cannula, and also by decreasing the amount of time necessary for equilibrating the cannula with ambient pressure before removal.